The Andromeda Galaxy Region

M31 (The Andromeda Galaxy) can be seen as a small, elongated, whirlpool shaped object in the center of this photograph. The diameter of Andromeda is about twice that of the Earth's Milky Way Galaxy.

25 Minute exposure on Tri-X film (A.S.A. 400)

Taken at 2:00 A.M. on 8/21/77 at Mt. Pinos, California.

Praktina camera with 35 mm lens guided with a 6" F/4 telescope.

Film was processed in Kodak Durafin.

 

Several Galaxies can be seen in this region, which covers only about 45 X 60 degrees of the sky. The abundance of Stars and galaxies is incredible. What appears to be cloudiness in the region is actually billions of stars. Dark lanes, (Where there appear to be fewer or no stars), are actually regions of interstellar gas (Hydrogen) that obscures the stars behind. Many of them are like our Sun and have planets circling them. This can be shown by the long period "wobble" caused by the gravitational attraction of the planets orbiting them. The question is: "Can it be possible that we are alone in the Universe?" My answer: "Distant, but not alone!"